Editor: Regardless how the Big Ten championship turns out Saturday, I find it hard to imagine the playoffs not represented by a Big Ten team.

I say this not considering any nobility on the playoff committee’s part, but by the fact that Big Ten teams generate a lot of money, and the NCAA likes their money.

If Wisconsin wins, it will be simple. But if Ohio State wins, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got in, like they did last year.

Jeffery Sampson, Reynoldsburg

Jeffery: I’m not saying Jim Delany showed up at the Big Ten championship wearing a Wisconsin sweatshirt, but I’m guessing he wanted there to be no drama about the committee’s decision.

Editor: In my years as a professional videographer for the OSU coach’s TV shows, I agree with coach Urban Meyer that there are too many people on the sidelines.

Many of these people should not be there; they have no working capacity at all. The unnecessary people include film and TV personalities, alumni, friends of friends. It is ridiculous.

Most sidelines are narrow and difficult to move through. These nonworking people make it difficult for legitimate working media to do their jobs. I have been on most sidelines in the Big Ten, and all are the same.

Doug Matthies, Worthington

Doug: I’m not sure why anyone would want to watch a game from the sideline. You get a sense of how fast and violent the game is from there, but the angles make it difficult to see what’s going on.

Ray: What a perversion big-time college football has become. Trying to watch a game on TV has become an exercise in torture — snippets of the contest lost in an unceasing sea of commercial “messages” from corporate sponsors brazenly trumpeting their bogus, worthless products.

The game is an afterthought, and has been totally corrupted by the almighty dollar. There is zero continuity to the game, no flow to the action, with relentless commercials and endless “plays under review.”

College football on TV is a joke, a shadow of what the game used to be, thanks to the corporate chokehold on the sports world, the country, and let’s throw in the world, just to be accurate. It all adds up to a miserable viewing experience.

Thad Woodman, Westerville

Thad: Help me understand what’s different this year, other than Fox employing an occasional touchdown-commercial-kickoff-commercial strategy. I mean, television has been befouling football since I was a kid, and I’m no longer a kid.

Ray: Ohio State’s traditional uniforms are the best of any college. It’s sacrilegious to dress the team in black, gray with black, or any other ridiculous design Nike wants to get fans to buy.

That’s like changing Notre Dame’s gold helmets, or Penn State’s no names on jerseys, or telling Michigan not to wear maize and blue.

All Ohio State fans should boycott all Nike products until they or OSU announces there will be no more messing with the uniform. I know I will. That’s the only way to really get their attention.

Andy Jones, Columbus

Andy: Such a boycott suggests that Nike is the only guilty party here. Remember that it takes two to tango — and a lot more once the lawyers get involved.

Editor: During the critical completion to Austin Mack in The Game, the Michigan defender, Brandon Watson, pulled a white towel from Mack’s belt and waved it in front of Mack’s face, presumably to make it harder to catch the ball. Is that legal?

Tim Monroe, Oakland, Calif.

Tim: It’s a perfectly legal maneuver if the officials don’t see it. But defenders can’t use towels as a blindfold.

Editor: Maybe it’s just me, but attendance at the Crew games seemed to dwindle when the Crewzers (Crew cheerleaders) were forced to leave the scene some years ago. Just saying ...

Steve Ponton, Columbus

Steve: OK, but I think it was just you.

Editors: I want to thank a few people in particular regarding the Crew and our saga to keep our team.

First, the team and coaches themselves, along with many of the front office staff. You’ve given us a great season to witness, be a part of, and although one more game would have been wonderful, you played your hearts out in the midst of a significant distraction and your efforts on the field and off are very much appreciated.

Next, Morgan Hughes and Save the Crew. You have brought to light how much our team is valued by the thousands of fans who care about it today and for the last 22 years plus. Your spirit is infectious and please keep this up.

Mayor Ginther, Alex Fischer, Doug Kridler and the Columbus Partnership for helping bring together civic leaders who see the value of the Crew to our city today and in the future. Soccer is a sport with legs in the USA long into the future and Columbus being in the midst of that sporting, entertainment, recreational lead can speak volumes for the health of our hometown. Thank you for your leadership.

Michael Arace, Andrew Erickson and The Dispatch editorial board for your support, coverage, passion and insight about the value of our Crew. Your columns, stories and editorials have laid out the very essence of the matter as to why the team is of great significant value to our city. You always clearly and articulately note the things about all of this that I believe are at the core of the cause for keeping the Crew in Columbus.

Finally, thanks to all my fellow fans for following the team, supporting them, caring about them. Sure, we are the beneficiaries of seeing the team play such a high level of soccer, but we’ve also grown to be a community ourselves, and I appreciate being a part of that.

Whatever the fate of our team, one thing we have to look forward to is that the sword of Damocles held over our collective community necks by the MLS and the owner of the team will be gone, either through a long-term commitment to Columbus or moving the team elsewhere. Their threat will vanish and we’ll have our team to cheer for years to come or MLS and the owner will be out of our lives.

I hope the Crew is in Columbus for decades hence. But for now, I just want to say how grateful I am to all who are cheering on our team and our city.

Greg Brown, via email

Editor: Rob Oller was dead-on with his column on the alternate uniforms. I’m a die-hard Buckeye fan, but I don’t give a hoot if they wear an alternate uniform — in any other game.

I personally think they’ve ranged from silly to ugly, and I always am annoyed knowing this is a money-grab gimmick. But I suppose a few more bucks help to cover a paycheck.

But don’t mess with The Game. There are far too many distractions always leading up to this saturday. An attempt to sensationalize The Game any further just adds another. I say, “Just do it!”

They should just go out and play in the traditions of The Game. I feel they should let Maryland and Oregon play dress-up. Play football!

Martin Ruehle, Hilliard

Editor: What’s up with those uniforms? If I hadn’t known the Buckeyes were playing Michigan and saw their maize and blue uniforms as I was flipping channels I wouldn’t have even recognized Ohio State.

What’s wrong with keeping with traditions and the fact OSU is the scarlet and gray? Quit letting your big Nike sponsors change up something that doesn’t need changed. Those uniforms were awful and by no means reflected the rivalry.

Sheri L. Pierce, Columbus

Ray: TTUN should keep Harbaugh as long as we did Cooper.

Shannon Patke, Columbus

Editor: Did anyone but me see the missed call with about nine minutes left in the game? Michigan let the clock expire before getting the play off. DVR showed ball on the ground with 0 on the clock. Check it out.

Roger Doyle, via email

Mr. Stein: J.T. Barrett broke a long-standing record with his touchdown run in Ohio State’s win over Michigan. His 42 points on seven touchdown runs broke Tom Harmon’s 77-year-old record of 37 points in the series. Congratulations, J.T.

Jeff Foust, Coshocton

Editor: The men’s basketball Bucks were an embarrassment in blowing a 15-point lead in less than four minutes to lose to Butler in OT (last Sunday).

Obviously changing the coach hasn’t changed much at Ohio State yet: terrible fundamentals, zones seem to paralyze them, no movement of the ball — or people. There’s lots of work for Chris Holtmann to do.

John Mariotti, Powell

Ray: I loved your note in “Rearview Mirror” in the (Nov. 25) paper regarding the 1961 Ohio State game against Michigan. I actually played in that game, which was quite intense until the fourth quarter when we blew them away.

Indeed, we did score our last touchdown with no time on the clock and went for two points with Sam Tidmore catching the ball in the end zone to make it 50-20.

One anecdote which has been lost in the shuffle is that this was the game after which Woody made the statement, in answer to the question as to why we went for two points with no time on the clock: “The reason I went for two was because I could not go for three.”

Somehow, that quote has been attributed to the 1968 Ohio State-Michigan game. But I was there when Woody made the quote to the press in 1961. It would be great if someone could clear that up.

Daniel D. Connor, Columbus

Mr. Stein: I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank you and your staff for your informative, up-to-date and educational sports sections — all brought by your competent, knowledgeable, informative staff.

Their tenacious exploration of coaches, team members and other pertinent folks involved in the wide world of sports. I especially appreciate Rob Oller and his commentaries. He’s certainly not afraid to put coaches’ feet to the fire! I also enjoy your Bottom Line helmets.

Wishing you continued success. I suspect if you continue hiring top-notch staff the Sports section will move uninterrupted in the newsprint/electronic media world.

Vinny Sue Herwig, Westerville

Ray: I thought the Buckeyes alternate unis for the Michigan game this year were OK, but I would like my team to look like MY team. All white reminds me of Penn State.

Walt Bauer, via email

Editor: This is a comment on the letter from Howard J. Mellon (Mailbox, last Sunday) concerning attendance at the OSU-Texas Southern basketball game.

The reported attendance is often the number of tickets sold, not the actual number of people in the seats. I have noticed this especially at Columbus Clippers games; the paper reports what the number of tickets sold was.

I have checked on games that I have attended and the number reported is always higher than what was actually at the game.

Ken Shepherd, Gahanna

Ray: I watched (Thursday’s) OSU-Duke women’s game until I couldn’t be comfortable with the lack of effort on the part of McGuff’s Mavericks. Time after time, the gals just stood flat-footed and allowed the Dukes have their way on both ends.

Upon reading the account of the contest, I see that coach McGuff spoke about a brief comeback, but being, “really timid.” I also noticed that OSU was outrebounded 49-30. This is often a sign of lack of hustle.

If Kevin is to have success this year, he is going to have to use more discipline at the outset of each game — and perhaps during practice. Attitude is more important than aptitude.

Don Denton, Westerville

rstein@dispatch.com

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